What scholars should “NOT” do!

Seeing this title, your first response was, ‘what! what does he mean by, “what scholars should NOT do”‘. Your second thought to this title was, ‘who gave him the right to say what scholars can and can’t say or do?’ Anticipating this already, i have my reasons for making such bold claims. Firstly, i am in no way shape or form, finger-pointing towards the respectable ulema or, looking at them condescendingly. Secondly, i am not telling them what they should or should not say. All this is, is to bring to attention a subtle trick of the devil, which i believe serves to jeopardize (usually) the message they wish to convey in their lectures and talks.

For instance, those of us who have grown up listening to western scholars, namely the convert scholars. Will be very familiar with the way they choose to deliver their talks. To make it engaging and interactive, as well as to make it appealing to the youth, sometimes examples are drawn from current life/fashions and trends. This is done to drive home a point or a message which the speaker wishes to highlight. Usually, it happens that, celebrities are used to elaborate on issues or ‘points of interest’ which the speaker hopes (in using the influential celebrities) help to illustrate his/her point. I have often seen some scholars mention by name a particular celebrity to make it more clear what he is trying to convey. For example, if he is talking on the topic of music. It is more often than not, he will lean towards using popular pop/rap artists by name, as examples. To prove how evil their music is. This is what i have seen grow in the recent years. In order to make the audience feel that the speaker is in line with current trends and modern fashion. And, that they to are also “cool” people. That, he is not from a by gone era, with whom no one can relate to. Speakers refer to “cool” celebrities to present their argument on a given subject.

You see, this is a double-edged sword. Using examples in talks and lectures is fine. But, one must do it in a generalized way, without specifically naming anyone.

If a particular celebrity is used as an example. What happens is, the audience will give an impulsive reaction to that name. So for example; If some says ‘don’t listen to 50cent, his music is evil and vile. Full of reference to sex, money and drugs is made’. People in the audience will automatically make a mental note to ‘Google’ 50cent next time they have a chance. To listen to his “songs” and, to find out what he or she is really about. In the long run, this has now become a door to sins and evil. People who did not know about 50cent will now look him up and ‘check him out’. What ends up happening is, people in the audience will go away taking no knowledge with them save the name of the pop artist. Since they had already made a mental note of the name when it was mentioned.– Something which was committed to the long-term memory of the brain.

This completely defeats the aim of attending an Islāmic lecture. A prime example of what i mean by a lecture on ‘Islamic ethics’ being jeopardized.

It is human nature, given the chance to commit sins, without a second thought (for the most part) they will do it. Which means, if any pop/rap star is used as an example of being evil, it is more often than not, that, people in the audience will immediately begin to search who he or she is. This will in turn lead to further research being done into that person. Eventually making them listen to all his or her ‘apparently’ evil songs. In order to understand what the scholar was saying and why he was using him or her as an example.

This is the same thing with movies. Many people go to cinemas thinking naïvely and saying to themselves ‘i will decode the satanic messages in this film and then be able warn other Muslims from watching it’. The sad thing which they forget is, that, they will come out of that cinema with all the satanic influences on them. Rather than being able to decode the satanic and subliminal messages within the film. It is more likely they will have being decoded by the devil!
The devil knows once a person becomes practicing Muslim, he can no longer win him over to his side by his usual tricks of making him look at women, taking drugs and alcohol. So, he begins to use more subtle tricks on the ‘practicing Muslim’, a former foot solider of the devil. Tricks which he keeps in reserve only for such occasions when his usual tricks (which he uses on the majority of people) fails to do any damage. In summary, a practicing Muslim must be extra vigilant of the subtle satanic tricks which he uses, more than his clear and usual tricks in operation.

I have pasted a link of a talk in which this particular scholar chooses to use one of the celebrities as an example, in his talk.